Kent haruf, acclaimed novelist of smalltown life, is dead at 71. Kent haruf is the author of six novels and, with the photographer peter. Tom guthrie is a highschool teacher left raising two young sons after his. Kent harufs honors include a whiting foundation award and a special citation from the penhemingway foundation. Alan kent haruf february 24, 1943 november 30, 2014 was an american novelist. A new kent haruf book is always an occasion to celebrate. Kent haruf 19432014 was an american author of literary fiction novels. Kent haruf, who found acclaim in midlife with a trilogy of sparely written novels, including the. Browse author series lists, sequels, pseudonyms, synopses, book covers, ratings and awards. In the summer of 2014 haruf finished his last novel, our souls at night, which was published posthumously in 2015.
Kent haruf was an american novelist whose spare prose gave life to quiet. Salida resident and author kent haruf, 71, died peacefully at his home sunday. Kent haruf s honors include a whiting foundation award and a special citation from the penhemingway foundation. If haruf who died in november at age 71 hadnt titled his previous book benediction 20, that might have been perfect for this one. Colorado author kent haruf has an extraordinary grasp of quiet. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. One of his pulmonologists told him you may just smolder. Kent haruf was born in pueblo, colorado, usa on wednesday, february 24, 1943 baby boomers generation.
Louis postdispatch, and the denver post in the familiar setting of holt, colorado, home to all of kent harufs inimitable fiction, addie moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, louis waters. He graduated with a ba from nebraska wesleyan university in 1965, where he would later teach, and earned an mfa from the iowa writers workshop at the university of iowa in 1973. He has caught his prairie people with the skill of wright morris, the prairie itself with the sweeping eye of willa cather, said the rocky mountain news of kent harufs signature style. Benediction started out as a very different book, haruf says during a weekend visit. Louis postdispatch, and the denver post in the familiar setting of holt, colorado, home to all of kent haruf s inimitable fiction, addie moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, louis waters. American author kent haruf, whose most recent novel benediction was.
Verlyn klinkenborg called it a novel so foursquare, so delicate and lovely, that it has the power to exalt the reader. Kent haruf 19432014 is the author of 6 novels including plainsong and our souls at night. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Haruf, the bestselling novelist known for his quiet chronicles of smalltown. Addie wonders if louis would be interested in coming over to her house and sleeping. The third of four children, alan kent hoerauf was born in pueblo. Kent haruf is the author of six novels and, with the photographer peter brown, west of last chance.
Novelist kent haruf, who was a finalist for the national book award for plainsong in 1999, has also written the ties that bind, where you once belonged, and now his fourth novel, eventide. Haruf rhymes with sheriff and his wife cathy live in a log house at an elevation of 8,500 feet, not far from downtown sedelia. Its a slim novel of short chapters, and it would seem to bring the cycle of. Kent haruf has 12 books on goodreads with 310665 ratings. They built the place four years ago after the success of harufs beautiful novel. Among the several damaged families in this beautifully cadenced and understated tale is that of tom guthrie, a highschool history teacher in small holt, colorado, whos left to raise his two young sons, ike and bobby, alone when his troubled wife first withdraws from them and then, without explanation, abandons them. Haruf was born in pueblo, colorado, the son of a methodist minister. Kent haruf, who has died aged 71, was a colorado author whose gently moving prose chronicled life in smalltown america. A netflix original production, ritesh batras third film is an adaptation of kent harufs final novel, our souls at night, set in the fictional prairie town of holt, colorado. Kent haruf books list of books by author kent haruf. Review of eventide by kent haruf, plus backstory and other interesting facts about the book. Benediction suggests theres no end to the stories haruf can tell about holt or to the tough, gorgeous language he can summon in the process. One evening, addie moore pays a visit to her neighbour louis waters robert redford, in order to make him a proposition of sorts.
Journalist max liu went to explore the country with the author. Kent haruf is an awardwinning literary fiction novelist from pueblo, colorado. Why might kent haruf have chosen plainsong as the title for this novel. He earned his bachelor of arts in literature from nebraska wesleyan university in 1965 and his masters of fine arts from the iowa writers workshop at the university of iowa in 1973. Kent haruf is the author of five previous novels and, with the photographer peter brown, west of last chance. Haruf set all of his books in the fictional small town of holt, colo. Haruf has made a novel so foursquare, so delicate and lovely, that it has the power to.
How does haruf characterize the landscape of holt and its surroundings, and how does he use landscape to set the emotional scene. Harufs breakthrough novel was plainsong, which was nominated for the national book award. Author interview kent haruf, author of eventide bookpage. Haruf makes us care about these plainspoken smalltown folks without. Every morning haruf went to the writing shed behind his house in salida, colo. In 1965 he graduated with a ba from nebraska wesleyan university, where he would later teach, and earned an mfa from the iowa writers workshop at the university of iowa in 1973 before becoming a writer, haruf worked in a variety of places, including a chicken farm in colorado, a construction site in wyoming, a. Kent haruf is a pisces and was born in the year of the goat life. Kent haruf died at the end of last year, leaving behind one final tale. The new york times, diane johnson contributor, kurt vonnegut jr. Harufs next novel, where you once belonged 1990, revolves around a former high school. Benediction by kent haruf book club discussion questions. Reviewing the book in the new york times, michiko kakutani said that it had the whiff of the formulaic but that mr. Its set, like all his previous novels, in the fictional town of holt, colorado.
Im going to write a book about us, haruf told his wife cathy. The fictional county of holt, where kent harufs novels plainsong, eventide and benediction are set, is in eastern colorado. Youll find proof in his masterful new novel, benediction, a gentle but forceful rendering of protagonist dad lewis. Plainsong by kent haruf book club discussion questions. His 1999 bestselling work, plainsong, was a finalist for the national book award. Benediction started out as a very different book, haruf says during a weekend visit to denver, 150 miles north of his home in the small town of. In recent months, he was a hospice patient an organization that he supported for many years. Haruf, 71, was the author of several quiet, moving novels that take place in the fictional town of holt, colo. Harufs writing has a graininess that lingers on tiny details as characters move from place to place. His 1999 novel plainsong was a finalist for the national book award. A stirring meditation on the true nature and necessity of the family. He was born in 1943 to louis hoerauf, a methodist preacher who changed the family name to haruf since he was frustrated that nobody seemed to get it right.
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